


Spiral

by felicia_angel



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Fifth Element (1997), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Fifth Element!Albert, M/M, and it was great go watch it if you haven't, crackfic, follows the Fifth Element Plot but with Resident Evil Characters, no I don't take this seriously, ok I did enough to rewatch that movie quite a bit, priest!William
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 11:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20545325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felicia_angel/pseuds/felicia_angel
Summary: Resident Evil/The Fifth Element fusion no one asked for!Chris Redfield, former hero-soldier and now cab driver, finds his world changed up when a very interesting fare falls into his cab.





	1. Chapter 1

_ I can’t return to the past, don’t you dare to know _

**There is a story from centuries ago, back when the world first had a War, originally called the Great War, and then retitled, after it’s effects grew to more violence again, as World War I. During the eve of that time, in the land of Egypt, a group of five men, all of privilege and class within their society of the time, were asked to go and examine something of an extraordinary and strange find - an ancient tomb with hints of Classical Greek but predating such movements, and without the same hieroglyphs and writings of the surrounding temples and monuments, all built to strange, bird-like beings called the Light Bringers or Sons of Thot, and their fight against a great, dark snake - some called Apop, and others called simply the Great Evil.**

**The group found this place, and from there, learned of the Light Bringers were called Mondoshawan, and their way of defeating what they called the Great Evil, and what Humanity had come up with names for by the dozens, just as they had names for the Mondoshawan. It came only when the shadows of three particular stars formed a point in space, and from there, it sought out the focus of Life in that system to destroy. Many systems had faced this threat, and many times, the Mondoshawan had come with their Weapon to defeat it - every 3000 years, the Mondoshawan came, defeated it, and left the weapon and it’s powered focus where they’d been, moving it only as they saw fit.**

**However, at the eve of the First World War, they arrived to gather the items left, and spoke to their representative, a priest of the faith that changed with each move to hide their true purpose, but were seen and overheard by the men. The Great Evil would return, and thus would the Mondochiwan, with all that was needed to fight it.**

**The men were found by the Mondoshawan and were given choices. Their decisions have shaped the world these three hundred years, as we await the Mondoshawans return, safeguarding the Key they’ve left, for when they return with the stones, and the fifth element.**

**But that is a long time for any of those who live in the changing times of Earth, and Humanity in general. That is all that the Evil and Mondoshawan never quite understand - that all that is important is Life, and Life is chaotic and ever-changing, ready to take on Evil and Good on any terms given to it, if it means they can.**

**For the Fifth Element on Earth is Love, Light, Hope, and all these things combined - Aether, Balance, whatever you wish for it to be. However, the main thing the Mondoshawan couldn’t see in all the worlds they protected, but especially on Earth, was how Humanity would see that Element, and how Love is as important as Life.**

_ 2214 _

_ Raccoon City _

Chris Redfield woke with a start, glaring at the alarm right before it started beeping, signaling the start of his day. 2 am, and already he’d need to get ready, go down, and continue his work with the STARS cab company. It was either that or go back to what he’d been doing before Jill had gotten him into the group and they’d started their work. Yeah, he wasn’t about to give her or anyone else the chance to remind him of how adrift he’d been before arriving here.

Well, except for himself.

The lights of the small apartment came on, noise now beginning to come in - the fish swimming in their tank, the knocking sounds from outside, the phone ringing, the electronics coming on as his allotted cigarettes came down, the cheery-sounding voice repeating mechanically, “To Quit Is My Goal” as he let out a groan, running a hand through his hair and finally getting up. The bed retracted, another, plastic-wrapped set coming up as it slowly retracted in while Chris grabbed one cigarette, his lighter, and then the phone.

“Hello?”

“ _ Hey, Ca-Chris, it’s me,” _ Piers says as Chris lets in his cat, the calico cat happily rubbing against his leg before wandering in to check on the apartment. “Hey Sweetie.”

“ _ Captain!” _

“Relax, I was talking to the cat, not you.”

“ _ Fine, whatever,”  _ Piers was younger than he was, but he had a cleaner record in general than Chris did, especially after those last few incidents, and so when he’d been put in charge of things at the BSAA cab company, it meant he was in charge of Chris as well. He’d not minded, though Piers and a few others had - the hero of the Mansion Cluster Incident was now  _ subordinate _ to them? - but Piers quickly gained a good comradery with Chris.

“ _ Listen, we’re short and I need you to bring in everything for a six-month evaluation. _ ”

“Everything’s fine.”

“ _ Really? How many points do you have left on your license again?”  _ Chris is silent at the question, before Piers says, “ _ Just get in with your equipment sometime tonight. That way we can get this all done. After that, things will be fine.” _

“Got it,” Chris mutters, getting himself a pot of coffee as he finally drew in his first bit of the small cigarette he had for the day. He’d been hoping that Piers might ignore it, but of course, he hadn’t. It didn’t help that he'd had that crazy-ass dream either...a planet coming into existence in the dark, a flaming skull and strange logo racing to him, screams…

He let out a breath and finished the cigarette and his morning work, the cat watching on TV as it announced some trip to someplace he wasn’t really interested in - Chris hated resorts and resort ships - with the duo of Leon and Luis, “the Federation’s best DJs!”.

Yeah, count him out of anything like that.

He’s not really surprised some asshole wants to try to rob him this early in the morning, he’s more surprised the bastard is wired enough on whatever he’s on that he falls for the “you have to press the light” trick before he feels Chris’ knife pressed up against his balls.

“That is a very dangerous gun,” Chris says, taking it from him as his storage area lowers, allowing the man a good view of all of  _ his  _ guns, “let me keep this for you, so you don’t get in trouble.”

“ah-I...ok…”

Chris grabbed a smaller handgun, his day officially ruined enough to require at least a gun before he leaves, “You sure?”

“Yes...take it...I don’t need it.”

Chris glances upwards, smirks as he puts his knife away, and finally says, “Nice hat.”

“You like it?” the man manages, scoffs at himself, then after a second wanders away. Chris locks up and heads down, getting into his cab and going through the motions, hoping to put the dream and the bad start of his day behind him.

\--

**The story went that the Great Evil was created to destroy all life, and though violence begets violence, it also could not contend against this Evil.**

**There had been thirteen weapons created, with four elements attached to each, to battle against the vast Evil that appeared. And so the Mondoshawan traveled and traveled until they were due to return with the one for Earth, three hundred years after taking it, sacrificing one of their own and leaving behind the Key, the five men with their new knowledge, and with the promise to return when the Evil did.**

Sherry Birkin, daughter of the High Priest of the Key, Earth’s emissary to the Mondoshawan, and guardian of the Egyptian Temple, never liked that part of the story, where the Mondoshawan had taken the stones and Supreme Being because of an old war. There had been a lot of things happening before then, but they chose three hundred years before the Evil was gonna rise up again? She wonders why they would, but there’s never really an answer, even now.

She knows that’s why Mom and Dad aren’t here right now - the Great Evil has come, and they had to tell the government and warn them of it, so the Mondoshawan could get to Earth in time. There wasn’t a lot of time - the information from the priests before them said it could take 48 hours or so to get enough information so it could know how best to consume Life. 

_ Time is not important, only Life. _

That was their mantra, the mantra said by the Mondoshawan who’d died, who’d left the Key and his finger behind. Dad had asked Mom to study it, and over the course of their time together, they’d had Sherry. She grew up knowing about the Mondoshawan - ancient and powerful Aliens, who’s ways were no longer so hidden and strange, though Dad and others still venerated their long lives, their achievements against the Great Evil to keep Life in the universe, and their works to keep hidden on Earth, despite it all. The only thing Dad felt was their greatest mistake was allowing the Five Explorers to know of them, and when they spoke to them of what was to happen. According to what she’d read, they’d all died or strayed, and left only Dad’s path, weak and without much beyond the Key, to care for things.

Sherry looks up as she hears the door, racing over to smile at Dad and Mom as they arrive, Dad looking shocked and Mom speaking quietly to him.

“If there’s even a cell left…”

“But will they be the same?”

“It’s as near magic as the Mondoshawans' own powers were, back in the ages past. We’ve advanced, they know that.”

“What happened?” Sherry asked, getting her Dad to look over and smile at her, motioning to give her a hug before kneeling and saying, “The ship with the Fifth Element and the stones was attacked. We were told to leave until they get any survivors from the wreckage.”

“Don’t the Mondoshawan have other Weapons? The stories said that they have thirteen! Can’t another one come?”

“Each is specific for it’s area, dear,” Mom explained, smiling at her as Dad nods in agreement, “the Evil gains powers and attacks differently, so the Mondoshawan have to attack it differently. This one is ours, Perfect for our world. But...who would do such a thing?”

She thinks it might be raiders, like the Il Vetro or something scary like that. Il Vetro were supposedly monsters, angry at being thrown from their home after they’d attacked a lot of people going near their place, even after saying they’d “allow” it. They’d stolen a lot of stuff, and done a lot of bad things. They could be someone who’d attack the Mondoshawans and try to take something from the ship.

Sherry goes back to her books as Mom and Dad have a talk, Dad looking sad as Sherry hopes they save the Supreme Being.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fifth Element reawakens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll add in characters as I can, but some are only there for a short period of time, so any that are in the Characters area appear in at least 3 chapters, or have a part in the story.

_ Crumbling are all things I believe... _

_ Nucleolab  _

_ Raccoon City _

“ _ THAT’S _ a survivor?” Colonel Barry Burton asked as he walked with the stasis tube, holding the remains of the unknown “survivor” of the Mondoshawans crash site. The body, or what was left of it, was hidden mostly by a metal covering with strange designs etched and scratched upon it, while the bits of gore hung as it waited to be sent back to gravity, time, and everything else stasis suspended for the time needed. The centuries had introduced humanity to many different aliens, or at least started, and the now-adrift City of a Thousand Planets, formerly the International Space Station, was a testament to that and to how Humans were willing to work with others, so long as given the chance.

Didn’t change that they’d also shoot first and ask questions later when threatened.

“Enough cells are still alive to reconstruct it, not that it needs help if given enough time,” Excella Giovanne of the Tricell Bio-Organic Military, said as she walked in front of them, her heels clicking on the wall, “but you said we are on a time crunch, so I don’t see why we shouldn’t hurry.”

“What do you mean, ‘doesn’t need help’?” Burton asked curiously as they reached the main disinfectant area, Giovanne easily typing in the code to get in before answering his question. The United Federation Military worked with some of the corporate groups if it meant they could quickly get to survivors and other things, and Tricell had been near the crash site and managed to find the survivor himself. 

“His genetics seem to allow him to recover, though it’s very slow. On top of that, his genetics are simply...so perfect.”

Barry glances over to the woman. He gets wanting to gush over the remains, it was her job, but maybe she shouldn’t say it like she was about to do something semi-indecent. He sighs as he says, “Well, it’s a person working with the Mondoshawan, I’m going to guess they did something to them.” Mondoshawans were known for messing with genetics, enough that some of the older ‘ancient aliens’ scholars believed they were responsible for some genetic coding in humans. Barry didn’t buy it, but the other aliens he’d met had similar, varying degrees of respect for the Mondoshawan. To them, nothing mattered but life, no matter how messy, chaotic, confusing, or strange. 

That was why the Great Evil or whatever was something they fought, and hopefully, Mr. Perfect would be the one who helped them out.

“Oh, it’s not that. The genetics themselves were far too packed and complex for our scanners, we had to try to focus it while examining the body,” she told him as they walk through the cleanser, “Normally there are only a few hundred or less groups that specify various codes. This has well over that, into a few hundred  _ thousand _ , tightly packed into a similar area of ours, but focused on various things I believe we cannot do. Hence why we’re working to help him with healing.”

They go in as the pod is hooked up to the nucleolab’s equipment for aiding in reconstruction, Giovanne walking over easily to the main computer as Burton follows, allowing the reconstruction to begin. This was newer technology, having been gotten from trade deals and other things, but it worked out well for helping people who had enough of anything left to ‘reconstruct’. It was also expensive, though, so thus far, it was simply being used in extreme cases like this, or for other points to test out the limitations for the human body.

“As you can see,” Giovanne showed him as the cover went over to start reconstruction, “This is a normal Human DNA strand. It’s got important information for creating a basic Human. This,” she swiped the screen, making a new one appear, with what appeared to be more links between the twisting helix, and what appeared to be even an extra helix to hold all of the information she showed, “is our guest’s DNA. The information is tightly packed, specific...it’s not that the Mondoshawan wanted him to work, it’s that they wanted each bit of information to be there. It’s as complex bio-engineering, far more complex than anything, legal or otherwise, that has been encountered.” She lets out another moan, but this one was  _ definitely  _ indecent. “When this is all done, we should have him back to his glory, and then all you’ll need from him is to stop this and…” she shifts, “if I could get a sample of the DNA…”

“You’ll have to ask Mr. Perfect, if he’s up for the discussion,” Burton muttered, getting the woman to pout before he added, “The man is supposed to help us with something the Mondoshawan have been fighting for a while. I’d like to do this without suddenly causing an incident of any sort.”

Excella’s pout turns upset as the scientist near them reports that the process is complete. The two looked over as Excella says, “Good. Remove the shield.”

The shield opened, revealing the man below it. Burton blinks as he looks over at him. The man is blond and had sharp features, even while he was sleeping or...whatever he was doing. His skin was pale, especially against the remains of whatever had been holding his body before the process, and his muscles were all defined, with barely any fat on him, or at least not showing. His body was at a sort of fighter-aesthetic, the type of perfection that those who fought in battle rings or wanted to be seen as the ‘perfect soldiers’. He heard Excella’s breath hitch, and his guess was that she’d been caught up not just with his looks - Burton loved his women, but he’d also raised two daughters, he knew what a ‘good looking male’ looked like - but he finally says after seeing Excella’s eyes stuck on just the lower half of the man’s body, and his long dick, which was partly hidden by the dark glove that his old hand had been in. “Could you apply some thermal bandages to the poor man?”

The bandages go over, Excella glaring at Barry before saying, “We might as well take some...archival photos.”

_ Moira’s able to out-bluff you while sneaking into the house, through the second-floor window, at four am, with five types of underground club stickers on her  _ face _ .  _ The fact that he knew she could do that said a lot about his inability to really talk to his eighteen-year-old daughter, but that wasn’t for here.

The flash of the light gets the man to gasp, bright blue eyes opening as his body bows, as if the flash had sparked something in his brain and gotten it to suddenly start firing beyond the regular “breath” and general motion. His hands move and pushes the pieces away, legs and feet kicking at the back of the tube while his hands go out and hit the rest, moving around and over. The man’s eyes dart around, as if trying to figure out where he is, and nearly jumps up, hitting his head hard on the top of the cylinder, getting him to glare and look up and around as he sees the camera start to retract back. He follows it back, moving a bit slowly as he glances around before looking back, finally spotting the others and then quickly speaking. His voice sounded half-breathless, half-authoritative as he spoke rapidly to them, the phonic detector nor pulling up any translation to the quick language he spoke at them, glaring out as his blue eyes flashed with authority and anger. Excella walks over, pulling her card out as he watches her walk forward, saying, “Well, if our Perfect specimen is to get out, he should learn to communicate.”

The man watches her approach, blue eyes serious as he does. As Burton watches, eyes mostly on the man and unknown in the area, he sees the blue eyes briefly flash red and yellow, looking almost reptilian, before his fist goes through the normally unbreakable seal, grabbing Excella’s arm and pulling her forward, so fast that she slips and hits her head against the solid material, her card going into the man’s hand and pushing it into the main area to unlock the tube.

“General alert!” Burton called, moving to go and get the unconscious Excella out of there, not moving to pull out his gun and give the man  _ another  _ thing, this time a potential weapon. He hears the alarms go off as he pulls her back to possible safety, watching the man move back and stand near the pod, eyes darting around as he looks at the group and the open doorway, a possible way out, before turning and diving through the back of the room and into the larger ventilation ducts. He quickly calls for the police, doing his best to relay that their target is  _ not  _ to be harmed, and checking on Excella before he says, “So...perfect, huh?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris gets a fare, a lesson in the Divine Language, and a few other things.

_ So I’ll cut through the darkness... _

The area is all metal and strange, the air choking and different from before. But he’s not too surprised at the change - each time the Mondoshawan had woken him, he’d found himself in a new place. They had told him what to do, he’d done it, and then had been put into suspended animation. He’d never actually seen much of the place he’d been created to protect, and now, hearing the strange language and seeing the strange things, he begins to wonder.

It’s so odd. He normally does what the Mondoshawan wants, what they tell him to do. Last time he’d woken, there’d been strange men and women around him, bowed and praying and saying something in their own language, but he’d had to defeat the Evil, and so had not focused on them before falling back to sleep again, or at least the state of unconsciousness that allowed him to somewhat know things, but not enough to learn much, trapped in the chamber as he’d been.

He glances around as he moves through, following the air and other signs he could only see. He’d not wanted to use his training, but there was no point in not following it in order to find out where he was, and why he woke in a space that didn’t have the Sacred Stones, let alone anyone who could speak the Mondoshawan’s language. He certainly wasn’t about to stay with any of the people who couldn’t understand him at all, and who wouldn’t answer his questions.

He pushes the final blocking...vent...thing out after looking through, seeing bright light (the sun for this system, a yellow-bright one that allows for the planet to be within the zone allowing for a huge amount of Life to thrive) and pushing it out of his way, the circular metal falling down as he goes through. Outside, and with more room, he finally stands and blinks, his eyesight changing from when he’s in survival mode to his normal view to accommodate the sun’s light and the vision he saw before him.

The air is full of strange scents, smells making his nostrils flare. Before him are also sights he’s never seen, and spinning by him are many vehicles. Before him are huge buildings of steel and other materials, one that rivals even the places that the Mondoshawan had created and shown him, as he trained and grew and learned how to best control his power before the first time he’d faced the Great Evil.

He looks down, seeing only lights and distance, before turning to walk away as he hears something behind him. The Mondoshawan had never allowed him out, and while he understands that he must protect this world, he’s never  _ seen  _ it. He loves the idea of the Life created here, loves that Life here was able to thrive and survive past all the odds, and thus will never try to allow the Great Evil to win.

A voice, enhanced and sounding like it’s issuing commands, get him to look back. The words bounce in his head, as he tries to figure out the words. It sounds like commands, he hears the strange words that sound odd, and simply turns and walks off. They don’t speak the Divine Language…

“ _ The current priest on Earth is named William Birkin,” they say, as he hears them speak around him, aware but trapped. He is always like this, semi-aware but unable to move. His duty is to defeat the Great Evil, and that is all. He’s been trained, in case he’s separated from the Mondoshawan and must travel to the Sacred Place to defeat the Great Evil, but that is all. His natural state is him being semi-aware, between awareness and sleep, and then calling the power upon command, and defeating the Evil.  _

_ “We shall contact him when they allow us in.” A pause, strange in a way, as if they are thinking of what to say, “Life had expanded here.” _

_ “Yes. After this, if the Fifth Element is not corrupted, we will have only three.” _

He banishes the thought from his mind, instead of continuing to walk. The stone ledge he’s one is wide enough to walk, and the feel of the hewn stone against his skin is strange, scratchy and different from the cool metal he’s used to feeling, after he became the Weapon. He pauses to examine it, nearly jumping when something, like the flying vehicles near him, roars past him, lights of windows disappearing down into the further dark while his hand clings to the stone behind him, fingers digging into the spaces between them. It won’t do much to hold him if he jumps again, but it will, at least, keep him from falling too far.

A strange sound, harsh to his ears, accompanied with bright blue and red lights, gets him to turn, glaring at the blue flying vehicle before him as another voice comes out, demanding something of him. It’s similar in tone to what the Mondoshawan who’d taught him discipline had used, and if there was any hate in his mind for any form of Life, it was that one.

Well, that one was dead now, so he had nothing to hate, didn’t he?

_ “What is going on?” “We are under attack!” “They have betrayed us! For all we have done...they have given themselves to the Evil!” “Then they will corrupt--” _

Light shines harsh in his face, and he raises one hand to try to shield his eyes as he looks at the vehicle before him. They would take him to the priest, but he doesn’t think they will. He recalls the strange people around him when he’d woken. Perhaps the Mondoshawan had been right, and the Evil had polluted their minds, corrupting them. 

Why trap him then, and hope to capture him?

Not that they would. He could easily take the fall he would choose, since it meant, perhaps, he’d meet one with a purer heart and devotion, and they could take him to the priest the Mondoshawan mentioned.

He jumped from the ledge, the freefall feel of air and sounds rushing past him, the sight of the darkness, the passing vehicles, and finally, a strange yellow--

The crash hurt, but not as badly as some training he’d had. He hears the person in front shout and say things that might be curses, a mechanical voice answering before the vehicle comes to a stop and, after a long sigh - apparently he’d put the driver out of their day - he hears words directed at him. Unlike the harsher demands from before, they’re soft, kind, and curious.

“Anyone alive?”

He understands it, but puts that to hearing strange words all day. He reaches up and slaps more of the glass from before, but this time it divides him from the other man. He looks up and blinks upon seeing the other man’s calm, curious, and obviously worried brown eyes, flecks of green showing from how close he is to him. The man looks almost haggard - dark circles under his eyes, stubble growing along his chin, his bronzed brown hair a bit messy in a way that’s almost feathered top, standing up in a way he’d never seen before. The human’s eyes are curious and warm, getting him to blink in surprise as the man smiles and asks something that ends in ‘ok’.

“Ok?...no…” he shakes his head, quickly trying to explain his upset. He explained the worry and anger, what happened to where he got here, the fall and the exhilaration of it, then ended it with him landing, hard, into the vehicle.

“Boom...yeah,” the other man said with a smile as if he found the whole thing amusing.

“Bada boom,” he explained to the other man, hoping he understood it.

“Big...bada boom, yeah.”

“Big…” the word sound right for what happened, “bada big boom.” The man chuckled, not so much at him but more  _ with  _ his situation.

It was...somewhat funny. He blamed that on the fact that his adrenaline was high. After he tried to explain more, the man muttered something to him, concern and obvious care carrying over, along with some words that were near translated after hearing so many odd phrases in this language.

“...lucky...not dead…”

If the man knew more about him, he’d know such a thing wouldn’t have killed him. Though he does admit, it might have hurt him enough to need time to recover. So when the bright lights and the annoying sound happens again, he glares out at it, seeing the man turn his head over. The easy hold his body had once had now tenses in a way the Weapon against Great Evil, Albert, doesn’t like, even after such a short time with the strange man who’d given him a few more words.

_ Big...lucky...not dead...ok… _

“Sorry,” the man says, sounding genuinely mournful. “...ride…”

Albert glares out, agitated and restless. He doesn’t need to go with the agents of the Evil, or whoever they were. He certainly could do whatever he wanted, and he wished for this man to be his...ride.

The next set of words, too strange to translate, are worried but far more authority, though different from others or even from his own, when he’d woken in the strange room without the Mondoshawan. He commanded, yes, as the Weapon, but he was also commanded by the Mondoshawan. This man commanded, but out of concern, of knowing the way things were.

If he’d known the Divine Language, he might have known what to do. It’s strange to think that here, the Mondoshawan weren’t as known as on the other planets, or as well known as they claimed to be.

“Sorry.”

The tone is genuinely that, and he sits back with a huff. He glances around, trying to read something out loud of a sad child (“p-plase...help”), listening to the tones and whatever was being said. He doesn’t think he can escape another prison - they’ll be too alert, so it’s a bit surprising when the man glances over at the other vehicle, as if making a choice, before the vehicle is in motion again, pulling forward with a sudden force that makes him blink in surprise, hearing the man mutters something that sounded almost angry before the diving barrier came down and he motioned for Albert to get up. He scrambled forward, sitting next to the man and following his motions to put something on as he listened to the man saying something and glaring at the various things before saying to him something that sounded like, “Where?”

“Priest William Birkin,” he says, glancing at him and hoping that is the right thing to say.

“...don’t need a priest…”

“Priest,” he repeated to the man’s argument, getting him to glance over at him before shaking his head, looking over at something, then telling the Weapon Against Evil, “Hold on.”

The vehicle accelerated and turned harshly, getting him to yell at the man for what he’s doing, getting the man to yell back at him something about “...or bad…” - the language? Why did that matter when the man was obviously putting himself in danger? - as he continued to argue, though he doesn’t grab for the controls. He knows enough, even with these strange things, to know that is a bad idea.

“...SHUT UP a minute,” the man finally growls at him, angry and obviously upset, while the Weapon glares back at him, trying to hold on and not get hurt anymore as they swerve and move, items blaring and the man silent or swearing before they suddenly go up, right, and then twist and turn to the main area right before the alarm blares again.

The man does something with the harness holding him, reaches to get the point on the harness on Albert, then grabs Albert’s head and pushes him down before popping sounds erupt to one side. They’re twisted enough that none of what Albert assumes are weapons come in, but the glass and other bits shattering over him gets him to quickly vocalize his protest.

He’d never had to deal with  _ this  _ while with the Mondoshawan.

And...he loves this. He loves the feeling of it, the strange notion that the ones firing at them don’t understand - how could they, with  _ so much going on? -  _ that the man who’s helping him vaguely understands what he’s doing and why, and that out of this, he’ll finally understand what he’s been saving for all these millennia.

Complicated, complex, strange, half-Evil and half-Good  _ LIFE _ , that the Great Evil will destroy because it can and that the Mondoshawan save because they can.

The pressure against his neck and head disappears, leaving him to slowly sit up. He finds himself annoyed at its loss before he sees the man obviously preparing his vehicle for another maneuver. He quickly puts the harness back on just before the man turns the vehicle to point down, and they all but fall, just as he’d fallen before, but now move to miss each obstacle, expertly going down and into a bank of dark, thick smoke.

They move behind something old, with bright pink color to it - neon, a gas, used to create a color - as the man near him lets out a long, deep sigh before muttering something else, sounding like “Piers is gonna kill me” before he glances at his passenger, the great Weapon against the Great Evil, one of thirteen created by the Mondoshawan to protect all life within the system, and says, “You owe me a  _ huge  _ fare for this.”

“...owe...you…” he tries out the words and finds that yes, he owes this strange man a great deal.

The man sighs, shaking his head again, a faint smile on his lips as he says, “Good...now, let’s find your priest.”

He smiles back, ready to help however he can when sharp pain spikes through his skull. The last thing he hears is his orders - Protect Life, Collect the Stones, Defeat the Evil - and the man’s worried, concerned voice before darkness takes him.

_ Religious Congregations Tower  _

_ Raccoon City _

“I’m looking for a priest.”

“Weddings are on the second floor,” the little blond girl says with obvious seriousness of having answered that many times before smiling up at Chris, “congratulations to you both.”

Chris sighs and shakes his head, saying as he slowly walks in, “He’s not my husband or bride, he’s my fare, and he’s looking for a priest named William Birkin. Is he here?”

“Sherry,” a dirty blond-haired man said, coming up to let them in as he looks over the two. “I’m Priest Birkin. Who...is that?”

“So far? My fare...no one knows who he is, and he’s got no ID, just a strange tattoo on his arm.”

“Ta-tattoo?” the man looked over at the strange markings on the man’s right wrist, just below a few marks. He gasps, dropping the hand and looking up at Chris with wide eyes, looking a combination of amazed, surprised, and like he couldn’t quite understand what he was seeing.

“The...the Fifth...Element…”

Sherry watches her dad fall, blinking and looking up at Chris as he sighs and says, “Sherry, right?”

“Yessir.”

“My name’s Chris. I need you to get someone to help, ok?”

“Ok,” Sherry quickly raced off to find her mother, shouting, “Mommy, Daddy’s unconscious!”

“That’s ni...WHAT?”

“A nice man named Chris brought in the Fifth Element. Daddy fainted after that.” Chris decides to not ask as he puts the so-called “Fifth Element” on the couch, moving Priest Birkin back over to a stuffed, comfortable couch. A blond woman with her hair in a ponytail rushes out, being dragged by Sherry to look over at it as Chris says, “Ok, so I need you to wake up that guy, he--”

Sherry moved out of the way as her mother, too, fainted dead away. Sherry looked up at Chris as he sighed and said, “Ok...Sherry? Please don’t faint.”

“I won’t.”

“Good. I’m gonna call someone to help me with this, ok? His name’s Piers...he’s gonna kill me later for everything, but right now he’s gonna help, kay?”

She nods, and watches as he calls Piers to explain where he and what they need, and then has her help the Fifth Element by putting water on his forehead while he moves the two older Birkins into the other room, Sherry answering the door and saying, “Weddings are on the second floor,” and getting Chris to chuckle when he sees Merah turn bright red as Piers says, “I’m here to speak to Chris, but I’ll keep that in mind. Chris! I swear on all that is holy--.”

“You shouldn’t, we’re in a church.”

The glare was dark as Merah asks Sherry a few questions, then checks on the Fifth Element guy before asking a few questions to Chris about what happened. She wonders about how the guy could be unconscious while answering Sherry’s questions about her tests as they hear some muttering from the room they’d taken the Birkins into. Apparently the Birkins are awake and trying to find...something.

“You know, if you’d just let the guy over…” Piers stops the thought. They didn’t know the full story, and while Merah was checking the other man over carefully, Piers said, “I’m gonna check the kitchen for something to eat, or drink, or whatever the guy might need.”

Merah sits back, glancing over at Chris before saying, “I don’t know what happened, but hopefully it’s nothing serious. Still, be careful how you wake him up. I know I hear the others awake, so Sherry, could you show me where your Mommy and Daddy are?”

Sherry nods, Merah following her as Chris glances over, seeing Piers’ back turned. He sighs and looks back around before slowly leaning forward, whispering, “Hey...wake up, show me those pretty blue eyes.” He briefly runs a hand carefully along the man’s forehead, then along his chin and up his cheek. After a casual glance at where the others should be - Piers was still looking for something to help, Merah was with the Birkins - he finally leaned down and brushed his lips against the man’s own.

“You’re right,” Chris mutters as he backs away, the gun he’d brought with him against his forehead now, looking away as the light blue eyes now glares hard at him, “I shouldn’t have done that. Sorry, really, but I was told to wake you gently…”

“SENO ATKO GAMAT!” the man - Fifth Element, fare, whatever his name was - growls out loudly as Piers looks over, then shifts only enough to not be in the line of fire at the moment, as Chris holds up his hands, hoping the guy didn’t notice his knife as the man snarls the same words again, glaring and looking a bit wary. Chris doesn’t blame him, after whatever long day he’d had tried to explain to Chris after admitting he wasn’t ok. 

“Sorry, again...do you remember me? You had a seizure, you got hurt…” the man glared at Chris as he waits, “Remember, big boom? Big bada boom?”

“...boom?”

“Yeah, from the cab, I drive one,” he shifts and pulls out his card, “See, this is me. Chris Redfield.” He holds out the card, “Chris.” The man shifts close enough to grab the card, though he doesn’t put the gun down or make any sign he’s about to trust Chris again. Which...fair, there were better ways to have handled that…

“What’s your name?” the man looks at him curiously, confused, before Chris points to himself. “Chris…” he motions before the man, still somewhat glaring, answers.

“Albert Amin Ojela-totrapka Podo Antila-Galive.”

Piers glances over, eyes wide despite that not being the longest name they’d ever heard, as Chris tilts his head at the blue-eyed man, who’s stopped glaring at him but is still holding his gun. “Huh...do you...have a shorter name?” At the man’s confused look, Chris points to himself and says, “Christopher Wyot Redfield...Chris…” he pauses, motioning to the other man, who shifts a bit, obviously thinking or translating what’s been said, before answering again.

“Albert.”

Chris smiles at him, thinking that the name fits him fairly well. “Albert...Al. Chris, Albert, Albert...Chris.”

Albert, after a brief moment, smiles back at him the two turning when they hear a commotion, followed by the arrival of William Birkin in full priest garb, wearing what looks like a plate in front that matches the tattoo on Albert’s right wrist. Behind him, Annette holds Sherry, who looks happy despite the gun being pointed at them, and Merah, who glances between Chris and Albert and Piers with an obvious look that demands an explanation.

Albert, though, visibly relaxes for the first time since the cab, appearing almost relieved to be around someone else - probably someone who could actually talk to him - before the priest walks over to Chris as Piers moves, Albert’s body moving almost too quickly to notice, gun now trained on Piers as Piers holds up his hands to show he’s got nothing in them, moving to the door as Birkin says, bustling Chris out, “Thank you, sir, but as you can see, the man is  _ very tired  _ and needs his  _ rest _ .”

“Well, the--you know what, never mind,” he mutters - he has other guns - as Merah and Piers head out, obviously not about to get involved with this, Chris turning to stop the door from closing before asking, “Listen, to clarify, he said a lot of weird things that I didn’t get but...what does ‘ekto gamat’ mean?”

“Ek-ah, ‘never, without my permission’.”

Chris nods, pulling away as the door slams shut as he looks over at the waiting Piers and Merah, Piers looking at him, deeply annoyed. “What?”

“You kissed him.”

“Yes, and I got a gun put to my head for my troubles.”

“I can’t believe you’d fall for something like that  _ again _ .”

Chris glared at his younger friend as Merah says, “Wait, again?  _ Again _ ?”

“ _ I  _ didn’t fall for it.”

“ _ NO,”  _ Piers sounds very, very put out, “ _ YOU  _ were just the one that chewed out the guy who  _ did  _ fall for it!”

Chris shakes his head again before they get to the elevator. “Well, either way, I didn’t get my fare.”

Both his friends look at him as a hand to his mouth, doing his best to not blush as both of them look over at him. “So...was he the so-called ‘perfect one’ for Captain Redfield?”

“I will take you both to the second floor and get you two to finally marry if you both don’t shut up  _ now _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I looked up the Divine Language, or what was released for the Fifth Element that the director and Leelo's actress worked on. Yes I will use it because it's my fic. But lemme explain what I have here.
> 
> a) Leelo's whole name does have a meaning, so Wesker's name will too. In this one, he's only Albert, so I kept that and it's original meaning.  
b) I'll translate it, but I'm also working on seeing how to do that with coding. be patient, it's been over ten years since I felt comfortable coding anything.
> 
> "Seno atko gamat" - never without my permission (pretty much what's always given)  
"Albert Amin Ojela-trotrapka Pod Antila-Galive" - Albert's full name, which means "Bright Noble, Chosen to Have Great Power"  
"Wyot" - Chris' middle name is actually a medieval name that's fallen out, which means "Battle" or "Brave".


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything gets a bit strange as those who wish to create chaos, and Chris and Albert end up together again.

_ I don’t want to lie at myself anymore _

Sherry sits next to the Fifth Element, showing him how to use the computer so he can communicate beyond the Divine Language and what little English he knows, the two munching on chicken as she watches him read through all the letters, Sherry kicking her feet as she helps him with some of the pronunciations, her mother and father talking about something a bit away as the Fifth Element stands, dumps the bones from the chicken they’d had, puts in some seasoning, and makes them another huge thing of chicken.

“Chicken good,” he says happily, Sherry nodding as he sits back down and gives Sherry one of the legs before starting to continue as her father and mother come up, asking the Element something in halting words for the Divine language. The Element answers, Sherry watching her father’s eyes widen in fear and surprise.

“Stolen?” At the Element’s nod, she sees her mother mutter, “Who in God’s name would do such a thing?”

_ Rockfort Industrial Complex  _

_ Underground Facility _

Heels clicked strongly down the metal hallway, heavier than usual, as heavier military boots fell into step beside her own, the twin sounds echoing as one of their men rushed over, asking about policies for their business. 

“We thought to fire 500,000, possibly from one of the cab companies or the holding in--.”

“Fire one million,” the cool voice is light, like that of a little girl, but carried authority to it, as the man beside her stayed silent.

“But five hundred thou…” the man’s voice faltered as both of the blond-haired people he was speaking to turned, dark eyes glaring him down. The woman was in a dress far more likely to show up in a painting of the Edwardian Era, with a high empire waist and flowing, near see-through dress that only accented how different it was, as underneath was red and dark green leather, steel tones seeming to be melded through the whole ensemble in areas that finally ended in the high heels that, while appears simple, were obviously deadly upon a second viewing. Her twin’s look was more militaristic, with a red coat and vest that had various decorations on it, all of them frivolous and bright in golds and blues against his red military coat and dark pants, but his eyes unstable, waiting for a word, like a dog waiting for the right command before striking.

“O-one million...yes my lady…sorry to have disturbed you.”

Lady Alexia Ashford didn’t even bother a smile, watching the peon run before she and her brother turned to continue on their way to the planned meeting. She normally allowed Alfred to deal with the work, or simply passed it off to Lord Spencer or anyone else, but  _ this... _ this meeting was far too important for them to pass up.

With these stones, and with all that they would get, they’d finally be able to reign, as the Ashfords should. With this, all that they strived for would finally come to being, all thanks to Mr. Arias.

\--

Sherry had to head to bed as Will and Annette stayed up, Will muttering about the only possible person who might have it as the Supreme Being learned and Annette, after a bit, went to get some donated clothing from a charity organization on the fifth floor, dropping them over and saying, “I’m not sure about your size, though I’m sure this will work better than those bandages.”

“Thank you,” the Being tells her as she walks over to Will, hearing him mutter, “What  _ was  _ his name? I’m so bad with names…”

“We do still have some time,” she says, “from what I gathered, the more complex or numerous the system, the longer it will take. We might have more than 48 hours.”

“Hopefully,” he mutters, glancing back as the Supreme Being takes out a dark blue shirt, checks it, nods, then takes off the bathrobe they’d put on him after the bandages had been taken off, revealing a muscled body, pale skin, barely any body hair, and a very--. 

Annette and Will both gasp, pause, then finally turn around. 

“They certainly made him…” “Perfect. Yes. Quite.”

The man said his name, getting Will to blink as Annette asks, “What did he say?”

“He...said he knows exactly where they are.”

\--

“Ah, the twins,” he said with a smile, “and how were those planes I let you borrow?”

“Sufficient,” Alfred said, smirking at the other man. Arias’ gray hair, once darker, contrasted against the blond of the two as Alfred glances over at the boxes behind him. The man is dressed in a simple dark suit, his eyes dark and curious as he looks at the Lord and Lady before him in their old-fashioned clothing, even as he types a bit on the portable computer he has before handing it to Maria, standing silently on his left side.

“Of course,” Arias says, “I’m sure the others don’t suspect a thing of what you both plan to do, but your time  _ is  _ at hand. What better way to deal with old Spencer and his ilk than by what I have...et voila,” he shows the new gun, the AG-1, he’d created - Arias was a weapons dealer mostly, but he enjoyed creating these items, and also enjoyed selling them to the right bidder.

He hears Alfred cackle with childish glee as he watches the demonstration, catching the compact gun easily as Arias asks, “And you both, my dear lovely lord and lady...did you bring what I asked for?”

Alexia waves, a few of her followers coming up and bringing the case with them, putting it on top of the one he’d taken the trial weapon out of as Arias grins, smiling back at them before opening the top, pausing, then closing it.

“This case is empty.”

\--

Albert chuckles at the thought of whoever had killed the Mondoshawan opening it to find  _ part  _ of the weapon - an important part, but only  _ part  _ of it - gone, as the two look at each other then back to him. “What do you mean, empty?”

\--

“Empty,” Arias mutters at Maria when she asks, seeing Diego start to shift in confusion, “the opposite of full. This case,” he runs his hand over it, anger building, “is  _ supposed  _ to be  _ FULL _ .” he glances over at the twins, seeing Alfred’s confusion and Alexia’s indifference. “Anyone care to explain?”

\--

“The Mondoshawan never fully trusted those they saved, and so worked to hide the stones at various intervals,” Will translated for his wife as Albert began to expertly use the computer’s interface to look up something, “they entrusted another agent of theirs with them, who he’s supposed to contact in a hotel...and…”

“Dot.”

“They’re in the Angel Constellation, at Planet Fhlostan.”

Annette glances at Will, suddenly excited. “But...that means...we’re saved.”

\--

“I’m screwed.”

“You asked for a case,” Alexia said simply, examining her nails, “We brought you--.”

“I asked for a case with  _ four  _ stones in it!” Arias’ anger gets the twins to look at him, “Not any more or less! Here, I’ll make it simple for you inbred, out of touch  _ lordlings  _ \- four stones, four cases. Zero stones,  _ zero cases _ .” He motioned to Diego and his men right before a long, whip-like plant vine grabbed his wrist, a sizzling sound started just as he hears his weapon startup.

“We risked our lives and reputation,” Alexia said cooly, despite the start of a small fire from her blood coming in contact with the ground, “Compensation would be...appreciated.”

Arias smiled at her, nodding before saying, “One crate then...and perhaps later, more business.” The vine disappeared, Diego and his men removing the other crates as Arias and his left, Maria waiting until they were out of Rockfort before saying, “You shouldn’t have left them anything at all.”

“Perhaps, but I know killers over whatever they are any day. Warriors, soldiers, freedom-fighters, those who fight for some cause, they always end up killing more than they’d like. But a good killer...not a crazy one, like those two, the moment they picked up the AG-1, would’ve immediately asked about the little red button that dear old Alfred was toying with on the bottom of that gun.”

It takes a minute after that before the explosion decimates Rockfort, Arias sitting back in his car and telling Diego, “The priest will be useless to me, so find out from the president, anyone, I don’t care who. But get me those stones.”

\--

“I can’t believe you feed your cat any of this,” Piers mutters, petting the calico feline as they finish up their food, the trio looking over at three pieces of mail drop for them, all looking away. The man cooking their food looks over at them, glancing between them before saying, “C’mon, travelers, can’t be that bad.”

“Last mail I got said my parents were dead,” Merah muttered into her bowl of steak and rice.

“Mine was that my girlfriend dumped me, then another from my friend, who was now engaged to my girlfriend,” Piers mutters. Chris says nothing as the merchant says, “Ah, can’t be all that bad. Betcha lunch on it.”

Chris wordlessly hands it over, the man quickly opening it up and reading out, “You are fired!”

Everyone but Chris glance at him, the man shifting and obviously upset before Chris says, “Well, we got a free lunch out of it.”

“I like that one! Always lookin’ at the bright side.” He pulls away as Chris shakes his head, Merah looking at him before asking, “What was your news?”

“Just bad news,” he says with a shrug. “At least we won’t be cabbies anymore.”

“You wrecked the cab, so we weren’t gonna be for long,” Piers points out as he puts his termination letter away. “I’m heading home. Don’t stay up too late dreaming of Mr. Perfect.”

Merah waves to him as they leave, getting Chris to sigh. The last news had been that--

He pauses as his phone rings, Claire chattering over the phone at him almost too fast for him to get before he says, “Claire, slow down, I just got in and had a day, I don’t get what you’re talking about. What ‘trip’ are you chattering about?”

“ _ You don’t know that you won a trip for two to Fhlostan? _ ”

“I haven’t gotten any notifications, no.” His mail dropped as Claire complained, “ _ Chris, they were calling out your name for, like, an hour!” _

Which is when he sees Barry at his door and groans. “Claire...I’ll call you back when I get back, and tell you a long,  _ long  _ story.”

“... _ Barry’s at the door? _ ”

“Yep.”

“... _ buy me all the expensive souvenirs. The really tacky expensive ones.” _

He hangs up, answering the door and shaking his head. “What’s going on that you’re here, Barry?”

“Oh, the usual, recruiting you to save the world,” Barry says as he comes in, pulling out a bit of plastic to read. Luckily for Chris’ current mood, no one else there with him. “‘Captain Redfield, we’ve been asked to retrieve items for a race called the Mondoshawan to get four stones from the diva Plavalaguna and bring them back.’ Questions?”

Chris glares at him as Barry sighs. “Look, despite everything from six months ago, you’re still the only one who’s trained for all weapons and vehicles you may run into. You’re the most decorated member of S.T.A.R.S and your old unit.”

Chris put his hands on either side of the fluorescent lighting, finally saying, “So the third reason is what, Barry?”

Barry looks up, finally saying, “We think there are a few others trying to get the stones, and one might be Arias, the other are the Ashfords. Supposedly they had a...falling out.”

Chris doesn’t say anything to that. He’d helped a bit with Arias, but the result had been why he’d quit. The other had been what resulted in Piers and Merah leaving as well. If Jill had been sure about this or wasn’t out in the field, Chris is sure she’d be here trying to get him on this mission, instead of Barry.

“So…”

“I haven’t said anything about this yet,” he argues, glaring at Barry. “Just ‘cause it’s Arias and the Ashfords doesn’t mean that anything  _ will  _ happen, and seriously,” he moves and opens up the mail, which happily announces, “ _ You’re the Winner!” _ as he glares at it and the tickets, “rigging the win, Barry?”

“Hey, old tricks are the best tricks,” Barry smiles at him, “Besides, I can come with you.”

“No.”

“Oh come on.”

The bell rang again, getting everyone to look, seeing the blond-haired man standing just outside, wearing a dark suit and glasses, waiting. Barry looked like he wanted to argue about something, but Chris suddenly turned and said, “You need to hide.”

“What are you, twelve?”

“Barry, I swear--.” he sees Barry glance back, then at Chris, then a seeming light bulb appears above his head. 

“...you’re  _ married? _ ”

“Not yet, no, but if he sees you here, I don’t know what he’ll do.” Barry shook his head as Chris started to move some of his stuff out of the way, though there wasn’t much - the apartment was barely large enough for the cat and the man in it, let alone for another person. Barry moved over to the window, opening up the blinds and glaring at Chris as he stepped out onto the ledge gingerly, slowly moving away. 

“You owe me for this.”

Chris waves and closes the blinds, putting the tickets down to one side and silently praying that Barry takes a fuckin’ hint, and also thankful that Albert is there. At least it’s a way to get Barry out of here and not have him try to get him back into work.

“Apipoulai,” the blond man says, sounding far happier than he had when they left, and Chris smiles a bit, waving right before Birkin comes up, holding Chris’ gun up a bit shakily. Chris backs up, silently hoping Barry doesn’t bother them if he hears anything else. 

“I’m very sorry about this, sir, but we heard about your luck on the radio and we need those tickets.” Albert, for his part, is far more interested in the apartment than the conversation, making Chris wonder if he knows enough English to follow any of this as he snidely asks Birkin, “So is this how you guys take vacations?”

“No, it’s how we’re going to save the world!”

He glances at Albert, who is currently examining one of his old war trophies, then back to Birkin. “Really?”

“YES!”

Which is exactly when the police control sound happened, getting Birkin to jump, looking at his gun and then back at Chris as he quickly motions to Albert, who appears ready to fight, saying, “No, stay here,” he moves the shower down, pushing him in briefly before saying, “stay here and don’t touch anything.”

Birkin is shoved onto the bed, the man asking, “What are you--.”

“Saving your ass so you two can save the world.” The bed retracts, allowing Chris to stow the gun before getting to the area that says ‘keep clear’, his hands going to the side as he hears from the speaker, “ _ Sir, are you classified as human?” _

“...I’m a meat popsicle.”

He hears a few more steps, someone trying to issue an order, then an insult to the cops.

_ Wrong answer. _

“ _ THE POLICE CONTROL IS NOW TERMINATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. HAVE A NICE DAY _ .”

Chris gets up, checking to make sure Birkin isn’t wrapped - the auto-feature can do that to a bed, even if it’s already wrapped - as he calls the shower down to find a very wet, very upset and shivering Albert.

“Shit...freakin’ .” He helps him out, moving over to grab the one towel he had with a heating feature as he quickly moves to take off Albert’s soaked shirt, wrapping the warm towel around him and wringing off the thin black shirt. “I should’ve turned it off.”

“...auto wash?”

Chris nods at the question as Albert repeats the word, moving to help dry him off and see about getting him something else to wear as he says, “Yeah, lucky me, all automatic systems and barely any room to appreciate it.” He wraps the towel around Albert’s shoulders, almost surprised by how close the other man gets, before saying, “Second time I see you today, and we end up having police issues and you end up in my arms...lucky me…”

“Lucky...me.” the words were said with a bit of a shiver as Chris moves the towel a bit, to allow the warmth to spread over his skin and to start drying off the excess cold water, frowning at the coolness he felt there over the needed warmth. “You might need to take those off…”

Which is, of course, when there’s an upset and suddenly frantic sound that means Chris has to free Birkin before the auto-bed  _ is  _ wrapped again.

\--

The towel is warm, pleasantly so, but he likes it against him as he uses it to dry his hair as his shirt dries nearby, Chris and Priest Birkin speaking as Chris helps Birkin up. Albert ignores it, taking off his pants and shoes to wring the pants out, as well and get some needed heat on his legs as Chris mutters something about coffee and having to check on something outside.

He’s better at English, or at least understanding it, but speaking it...it’s easier to use the Divine Language, not just to stop himself from becoming too attached to those he’ll never see again, but because it’s what he learned, what he was  _ born  _ knowing, what explains best his  _ purpose.  _ Yet when he was wrapped in Chris’ arms, the cool English that he’d spoken had sounded so much better than the Divine Language. It’s not the only language here - no one world containing such Life would ever be marked by one language - but the soft words, the sound of it coming from Chris when he was worried about him, or apologetic, or simply curious, makes his heart race a little more. That he’d even taken a chance and managed to get him to William Birkin and the others, even with all that happened, is strangely comforting as well.

He glares at Birkin when he sees him start to reach for something as Chris’ back is turned, Birkin shifting uneasily as Chris opens the blinds, takes something from outside after a moment, then comes back in before saying, “I’ll go with him,” he points to Albert, “and get whatever you need at Fhlostan too while I’m there.”

Albert looks over at him, confused but happy to hear that as Birkin asks, “Y-you will? But...why?”

Chris shakes his head, motioning as he starts to grab a few things. “Because,” he glances up and offers a smile that seems almost pained, despite how handsome it makes him look, “you said you were gonna save the world. Who am I to get in the way of that?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone tries to head, or heads to, Fhloston Paradise.

_ Is the answer up ahead? I just can’t bear this suffering _

William Birkin doesn’t like this at all. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Redfield - he somewhat doesn’t, not after the supposed cabbie had a  _ gun  _ on him, and a military-grade one too - but more that he doesn’t trust that this won’t result in Albert being hurt.

The bit of time they’d spent with the Supreme Being had shown that it was probably within human nature to not trust them, just as they didn’t trust the humans they supposedly cared for, but Annette’s findings on what was in Albert’s bloodstream also worried him. He’d spoken to Albert about it, and Albert had simply told him that the Mondoshawan were to be trusted, that they raised him to protect the Earth, and he would do so. He had shifted then, adding that his love for the world had grown, and he didn’t understand why they were reminding him of the fact through headaches, beyond the fact that he might out-live those he’d met, and that might create ‘evil’ within him.

That’s not something that William had considered, but he also wondered what ‘evil’ that could be. The only thought might be dissatisfaction with the way things went, and such things were always part of Life. Life grew, thrived, survived. It found itself in areas where any sort of life was harsh and still, it survived. But it also took over and pushed out all others, not even for selfish reasons but simply because it had the ability to. Time didn’t matter in this case, because Life was life.

“If the Mondoshawans wish you to preserve and protect Life from something that only ever wishes to kill it,” he says as they wait for Redfield to show with the pass Albert would need for this trip, “then what evil could grow in you, that it might cause them worry?”

Albert shifts, thinking, then shakes his head, rubbing the side. “Achan chinou hamas, kylou-kan…” he waves to the people, the trash, everything around them. Birkin glances at them, then at him.

“Is caring for one, and thus all that they love or loved, so bad? Will that create evil?” Albert looks over at him, curious, as Will says, “I and my family have dedicated our lives to serving the Mondoshawan. Annette was not originally part of it - she knew nothing of them until she came to me, following half-truths and things about xenobiology, and in that, we found we loved each other. Sherry came out of our love, not my desire to serve the Mondoshawan. If she wishes to not serve them, I wouldn’t force her into it, I’d find another to learn more from me, or to examine things from another angle.” He offers Albert a smile, reaching out to rub his tense shoulder. “Loving  _ one  _ thing will not stop you from trying to save the world. If anything, it might get you to want to save it all the more.”

“It might not,” Redfield’s voice gets them to glance at him, Albert blinking at the mention while Redfield lets out a sigh. He’s dressed a bit differently, looking almost comfortable for the first time, but not fully. “I’ve seen people react very differently to loss and life in general.” The dark-haired man looks at the confused Albert. “It’s all different, and it’s all part of life. That’s not inherently evil, to give in to the part of life where you may outlive others.” He looks away after a moment, his gaze that Birkin can see looking worried and almost afraid. “We should get going. The ship is going to leave soon.”

Will finally nods, saying to Albert, “We’ll talk later...get the stones, and meet us at the temple. We’ll be waiting.”

Albert nods, smiling and offering a reassuring look to Will and Annette, before going after Chris.

\--

Albert glances at Chris as they walk together to the desk where a woman in blue calls for something that sounds like “last call”. He doesn’t know why Chris is angry...no, tense...for all of this. Considering what he said, he wonders if that’s something to do with the talk about LIfe and evil. Will listens to his worries and had tried to put them in context, and while Chris’ words contradicted Will’s, they also pointed out another layer to them as well.

Will would not be upset if Sherry chose another path...but had others before Will? Had Will been forced to follow this path, so that when Albert was separated from the Mondoshawan for the first time ever, he would find the correct priest? But beyond that, what Chris also said rang in Albert’s mind, translated and diving and seeming to cut apart some of his migraine while also intensifying it.

_ “All different, all part of life _ .”

“And who is this?” the woman’s voice brought Albert out of his thoughts, showing off the item he’d gotten from Chris, saying, “Albert Wesker-Redfield Multipass.”

Chris smiled, the fake one that Albert hated seeing on his face, “This is my husband, we’re newlyweds, and it’s our luck I won the tickets for this trip, huh?”

“Multipass,” Albert pointed out as Chris inserted it into a slot, a cheerful, “ _ WELCOME _ ” issuing from the computer as Chris handed it back to him, getting Albert to say again, “Multipass,” as the woman apologizes for the trash behind them, Chris waving it off while Albert examines a few other things, trying to read a bit more and get more words. He can understand, but he wants to  _ speak  _ to Chris, to have a better way of learning why he looks so sad, so upset and not the same as the man who’d been curious, kind, and willing to kiss Albert awake as gently as he had.

They make their way through the line, Chris not quite relaxing, but not being as tense as before, Albert taking the chance to read what he can, even leaflets left around on plastic, as Chris handles the rest. He seems to find Albert’s interest in whatever he can, and slow reading out of some words he’s not sure about, to be interesting and almost silly, as he helps him pronounce a few right before he hands over his tickets one person and she says, “OH, Mr. Redfield, you  _ need  _ to come with me, Mr. Sera and Kennedy are here to interview you!”

“My husband nee--” Before he could say more, he was swept away by one overly-enthusiastic woman in blue, another coming up to Albert’s side and saying, “Sir?”

“Multipass,” he showed her his pass - so far that had obviously allowed them to go wherever they needed, and she scanned it before nodding. “This way. It will only be a bit.” She chatted on, and he simply followed, looking around at the large thing they’d built before he was shown a place to sleep. He got in, turning over to pull out the small computer that Sherry had lent him so he could learn a bit more. He was going to ask more of Chris, and get a real smile back on his face, before they saw Plavalaguna.

“ _ We protect Life, _ ” the Mondoshawan had always taught him, trained him, beat into him, and now are trying to remind him of through the nanomachines in his blood,  _ “All Life. We are the antithesis of the Great Evil, which rises every 5000 years to try to destroy Life, to ruin all LIfe. Nothing is more important than Life.” _

_ There were thirteen of them, and now...there were three, maybe. The other ten had fallen, failing to protect their worlds. The Mondoshawan only ever said that they have failed, Evil had stepped between them and the mission. Light becomes Dark, Day becomes Night, and Life becomes Death. _

** _That is what is happening now...you now think of him, of Chris, over Life._ **

No. Chris was part of the Life he must protect. He thought of all of it, but Chris was an embodiment of it...angry but kind, resourceful and want to help, but strange and quiet for his own reasons. Understanding other beings' reasons, but giving his own as well.

** _You are thinking of one over many. You are thinking only of one thing, and Time, over Life and your purpose._ **

No. He was thinking of his mission, and that mission meant he would have to travel away from where he  _ should be  _ \- protecting the Earth and Life here - to some  _ other place _ because the Mondoshawan wouldn’t be bothered to hide their stones with another sect, or with another agent who was on Earth. Time was important when Life was endangered.

** _Only Life is important. Nothing else is more important than that._ **

If that had been true, they should’ve retrieved the stones and him well before the Evil had time to worm it’s way into someone’s heart.

\--

Chris wishes he’d not agreed to take on this mission for Barry, but after Birkin and Albert had appeared at his door, after saying they needed it to save the world as well…

His family might call him stupid, but Chris can put two and two together. Unless something else is going down at Fhloston, Albert probably needs the stones. The last thing Birkin had told him only confirmed that and where they needed to go after all of this was done.

But  _ for fuck’s sake _ , he doesn’t need to be on the  _ radio. _

“They’re  _ so  _ green.”

“I know you’re excited, but I’m on vacation and would really rather not be bothered and remain anonymous.”

Which is of course when the fanfare started and Luis Sera slid in, Kennedy following him in annoyance before Luis point, his out in welcome. “CHRIS! REDFIELD! Here is he, the one and only winner of the Gemini Croquette Contest!”He walked over like he wanted Chris to look him over, Kennedy shaking his head as he walked behind. “This boy is fuelled, like  _ fire _ , so start melting ladies because this boy is hotter than hot, he’s  _ muy caliente! _ ”

They started walking down, Chris taken with the rest of the crew as Leon looked him over, saying, “Right size, right build, right hair, right on.”

“Right on, right on! So he’s got something to say to those 50 billion pair of ears listening here,” Luis turned, pointing his cane-microphone at him, “ _ Habla con los otros _ , my man!”

Chris blinks, surprised, then says, “...Hi.”

Kennedy chuckles as they continue on, Luis to talk up how “smooth” and such Chris looked, pausing long enough to flirt with a stewardess before asking, “So, my man, are you nervous in the service?”

“...not really.”

“Ah, a professional we have here,” Leon said as a few people let out a sad sound, “I’m sure that as we go along, the frog here will turn into a dreamy Prince, especially of Fhloston Paradise -” Leon grabbed one of the brochures as the cane was expertly handed off, Luis taking up next to Chris while Leon read off, “A hotel of a thousand and one lollies, follies, and migiumlollies, with a magic fountain of wine, your choice of gender, and all that you might like - all night long.”

Chris was almost grateful when the two decided to end their recording by basically making a stewardess faint as they whispered their own promo in her ear, then turned back to their following ‘yes men’ before Luis says, “So...how was it?”

The men start to say it was great, Chris looking for an exit right before he sees the men run off, Leon glaring at him and Luis walking up, looking upset. “Chris, sweetheart, you know what that was? It was  _ BAD.  _ No fire, no energy,  _ nada! _ ”

“We have a show here to run, from five to seven, and those short answers will only get so far,” Leon told him as he came up, backing Luis on what he was saying. Chris felt himself get a bit more upset with this - all he wanted was to get to where Albert was, sleep, get the stones, finish it, and never do another mission  _ again. _

“So could you act, at least tomorrow, like you have more than a two-word vocabulary?”

“Leon, right?” Chris glances at him. “My sister’s Claire, she used to date you.”

Leon blinked, glanced at Chris, and apparently  _ now,  _ the last name clicked as he grabbed Luis’ arm while Chris said, “And I know about the Ada chick.”

Both men paled.

“So how about tomorrow, from five to seven, you give yourselves a hand. Green?”

“Super green,” Leon said as Luis squeaks out something similar, the two directing Chris back to the main area as they broke off for their own zone, and the stewardess leads him to his shared sleeping room, finding Albert resting and reading up on some small computer.

“Hi.”

“Learned more English?”

Albert nods, tilting his head to look at him as Chris gets himself comfortable. “I was asked to go on a mission, and the briefing mentioned some dangerous guys I’d worked with before.” He doesn’t want to mention that one had kidnapped his sister after the Mansion Incident. “I wish this was a vacation, but if anything else happens, you could get in big trouble.”

“And you?” the accent and question gets Chris to pause, turning a bit so he’s facing Albert.

“I’ll be in trouble if they figure out it is me there. No matter what the event, I’m a lot of trouble, Albert, but here especially. On Earth, they can’t do much without being caught, even with what I was doing. Here…” He doesn’t finish the sentence. “Sorry. I’m like this for work.”

“No trouble,” Albert tells him, reaching over to touch his cheek, caressing the side of his face the same way Chris had caressed his, before that kiss, “Me Fifth Element - Supreme Being. Me protect you.”

Chris smiles a bit at that, relaxing before Albert motions. “Sleep.”

The two turn just as the stewardess comes up, smiling at them and saying, “Sweet dreams,” before both are sent into unconsciousness.

\--

Diego growls as he sees the closed gate. He briefly glances over as he sees the image from the Gemini Croquette Contest that they’d tried to infiltrate, and his anger grows, causing him to slam his heavy hand into the window, not caring as the guns come up. How  _ dare  _ that man win such a thing? How  _ dare  _ that man live when he’d taken away Glenn’s only shot at happiness, poisoned the mind of Chambers and others against him, and now dared to stand there, having  _ won _ some--

He sees some people walking by, one smirking at him through the grotesque mask of burnt flesh to his face, as Diego links to where he can speak to Arias. His anger at the one walking by, at all that happened, doesn’t stop him from transmitting what he knows.

_ Chris Redfield is on his way to Fhloston, where the stones will be. _

_ Alfred and possibly Alexia Ashford survived the blast. _

_ I will not let them survive long enough to get on the ship, no matter what else. _

The scarred Alfred screams when Diego gets him, and despite the firepower brought against him, he continues to scream until his head bursts, and one of the final shots from the police around him gets Diego to fall down as well, breath leaving his body as he does so.

At least he killed Ashford before he went.

\--

Alexia glares out the window as they move to the large ship. Next to her, her brother looks up, hand still holding his side.

“The bit we left is dead. Arias is on the move.” She glances at those around her, “We move to plan B.”

\--

Arias sighs as he considers Diego’s last transmission before his death, Maria by his side and silently seething.

At least one Ashford is alive, and searching for the same stones - they were already on their way to Fhloston, he’s sure, and would demand far more for his life than--

“Sir…”

“I don’t want to be disturbed.”

“...it’s Mr. Shadow on the line.”

He glances over, feeling his hands shake as Maria’s head goes up, looking over at him as Arias reaches for the phone. The first call with Mr. Shadow had left his head ringing for days. The second had been exhausting due to how long he’d held out, demanding what he had to.

This was the third, so when Shadow spoke, Arias’ voice only shook a little as he answered, explaining that the price had tripled after realizing the name, and after Diego’s confirmation.

_ Chris Redfield is in Fhloston, and looking for what I require. _

“I will see to it personally,” he finally says, hanging up and wiping his face clean of blood. He glances at Maria, then says, “Find out more and wait here. You will be the last line, and the one to cash it all in when he comes.”

** _AnYThInG iS mY PriCCEEE...fOR thE SstOnESsss…_ **

_ “My wife...alive.” _

** _YoU WiLl BE wIth HER...fOReVer. BuTTTttt…_ **

If it came down, he would simply come back when Mr. Shadow had his stones. If not, he’d at least have Redfield for all eternity, to torture and torment upon his final failure.

\--

“Ah, M-Mister Sera, Mister Kennedy,” the stewardess shudders as Kennedy stops nipping at her neck and Sera stands from where he’d been between her legs, looking at her curiously, hand still moving along her thigh.

“You...need to get into position.”

“We don’t want one position,” Sera answers, his voice low and sultry as he goes back down.

“We want  _ all  _ positions,” Kennedy whispers into her ear before moving to cup her breasts and easily get her to gasp in pleasure. “Don’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Achan chinou hamas, kylou-kan..." - Love/loving one person/man, instead of loving everything...
> 
> Yes, that's Albert admitting he's really starting to love Chris. AWWWWW <3<3 *mush*


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albert and Chris travel to Fhloston, have a good talk, and then split up to get the stones. Or try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized after rewatching the movie so often that a) if they remake it, make it a tv series, it'd work better that way  
b) for two people who fall in love, Korbin and Leelo don't spend a lot of time together.  
c) for being the Awesome Fifth Element of Badassness or whatever, Leelo is rescued WAY TOO MUCH.

_ I can’t retain my limits... _

Albert wakes before Chris does, and finds that sometime in their brief sleep, their hands had come together, Albert holding the warm hand a minute longer than he’s sure he should be allowed before starting to open up the door, Chris jerking awake and blinking sleepily at him. His hair is mussed, looking more feathered than before, and he lets out a low groan before looking out and then back to Albert. “I hate those.”

“Sleep?”

“I sleep well enough, but light-speed sleep-hops...not as much.” They open the doors and head out, Chris staying near him as he says, “Let’s at least get to our suite before we split up, ok?”

“Ok,” Albert says, walking forward with Chris following before the doors open. All around them is light and brightness, happiness as the groups cheer them on in a language he can’t get fully, though it’s musical on its own, the welcome obvious as they have flowers put to ring their heads, Chris’ falling a bit over his eyes as he tries to adjust it, Wesker looking around the beautiful interior before saying, “wow,” and looking back at Chris happily. He moves and tucks one flower behind Chris’ ear, allowing the crown of purple-blue flowers to remain in place, as Chris finally gives him a real smile, not the tight one he’d been given since he decided to come with Albert on this journey.

Albert follows him into the suite, watching as the attendant with them explains some things and looking around the large, blue-colored suite, listening as the woman mentions the Plavalaguna will be in shortly. He shifts, remembering where she’ll be, where the Mondoshawan were to meet her, before all of this.

He’s glad  _ he’ll  _ meet her, over the Mondoshawan.

“We’re big fans of the Diva, is there a way we can meet her before the concert, or afterward?” Chris asks, the tone innocent though Albert can see he’s tense.

“You and your plus one are invited to the concert, sitting up front next to Sera and Kennedy.” Albert watches Chris tense a bit, obviously upset over something, “She’ll be at the party afterward. If you need anything to wear,” she pressed a button, allowing a long line of outfits, different from the ones he and Chris are wearing, to pop up before saying, “We hope to see you there.”

Albert moved to check on the new things, hearing Chris fall against the bed with a sigh, before he said, “If you want to go and speak to her, you can.”

“Who?”

“The Diva. She’s got the stones, right?” he glances at Albert, who watches him as he says, “I saw something about a survivor escaping from the Nucleolab in Raccoon City, near where I...picked you up. That they were a survivor of the crash caused by unidentified people, attacking a Mondoshawan ship. I’m here to gather stones from the Diva, on behalf of the Mondoshawans and as an apology from the Earth’s government for failing you all.” Albert shifts, upset hearing that but knowing that it’s more than that, and wishing he knew that already, “You’re here to get stones from the Diva, to take them to Earth and save it.” Albert moves to sit next to Chris, wanting to run a hand through his hair and have the flowers entangled into the darker strands. “Let me get the stones.”

“Why?”

Chris glances at him for a long time before saying, “You’re learning about the world, right? About our history?”

Albert nods, confused, as Chris lets out a breath.

“Did you read about the Mansion Incident or Umbrella?”

“I’m up to ‘V’.”

Chris smiles a bit at the non-answer. “That’s a good letter. A lot of good words in ‘v’.”

Albert tilts his head, looking at Chris curiously and waiting for either a list of the words or for more information from Chris on what the two incidents he mentioned where. With none appearing, Albert heads to the door, Chris sitting up and saying, “Let me go.”

“She expects me, not you. Mondoshawan expects me to do my duty.”

Chris is quiet before he looks over at him, saying, “My duty is the same. She should have heard about me, and hopefully, that’ll mean we’ll--.”

“Luis and Leon will be here soon.”

Chris curses, looking a bit defeating, before moving to grab something from his pack, tossing it to Albert. He catches it easily, frowning at it. 

“It’s a way for us to communicate, and if anything happens, it lets us find each other,” Chris explains, “Keep hold of it. I’ll see the Diva at the concert, and hopefully you at the party.” 

Albert nods, turning and walking out the door and over to where the Diva should be, hoping that he wouldn’t need the item Chris had given him, and shifting as he wishes he’d read up on the two things Chris had mentioned.

Albert gets there just as the Diva does, waiting and hidden behind the wall as he all but  _ feels  _ the eyes of the Diva on him, waiting as she whispers to the attendant next to her. They appear Human, but are not, not fully. 

For her work with the Mondoshawan, she wanted Humans like him - perfect, long-lived, and devoted - and she had them, just without as much of the training as he’d had.

“Plavalaguna wants you to know how glad she is you are here,” the woman tells him, though speaking to the wall, “She’ll give you want you’ve come for after the concert. Stay here.”

He doesn’t want to stay - Chris’ attitude makes Albert all but  _ long  _ to go back to where he is - but he can’t leave. If something were to happen…

There’s a brief vibration from the item Chris had given him makes Albert pause, pulling it out to see a simple message in English.

_ Luis and Leon got me. Stay safe. _

Not sure how to reply, Albert simply held the item, and smiles before settling in to wait.

\--

“ _ You’re listening to Radio Cosmos, and it is now Five PM. Time to join Leon, Luis, and the lucky winner of the Gemini Croquette Contest, Chris Redfield, comin’ at you live from Fhloston… _ ”

“Paradise!” Luis calls, Leon having their men pull Chris along as he says, “Leon and Luis here for  _ two  _ hours of your service with our winner Chris, as well as the manager of this  _ super  _ green hotel…”

Luis took Miss Gemini Croquette’s hand and kissed it, adding, “and Miss Gemini Croquette in person, with 8,000 other lucky people who shall enjoy the privilege of the unique concert of Miss Plavalaguna!” Leon waves his yes-men off, Luis and he taking Chris’ arms and leading him into the concert, remarking briefly on the concert hall is a replica of an old opera house of some sort, then motioning to each of the people they walked by - ministers arguing, a group of people crowded around a star who was deaf, the biggest player in a league Chris didn’t follow but Piers did, an Emperor and his daughter - “ _ Amo cantar _ , she recently told us,” Luis said as Leon added, “We have a recording of her  _ lovely  _ voice in song.”

“We’ll have to play it after the concert, while Chris gives us his word for the day,” Luis said with a wink to him, turning back and getting near Chris, “So, are you happy here in this big universe?”

Chris simply gave them a look before saying, “Thrilled,” then sat down.

Luis looks upset, going to get champagne and demand a commercial as Leon, waiting for the break to start before saying, “So...what does the government want you to do here?”

“Nothing you need to know.”

Leon chuckles a bit. “More than one word, how lovely. I forgot what your sister said about you.”

“I forgot you were a cop for a day.”

Leon stays quiet as Luis comes, the group sitting and waiting as the curtain slowly rose, revealing the Diva, Plavalaguna. She was tall, dressed in blue and black, the flared dress moving as she slowly walked forward, the music all but vibrating off the walls. Chris could now say that he saw why so many people liked to recreate old buildings from Earth, especially those where simply speaking in them could result in whispers never heard, or a simple note could ring through the whole of the structure, rattling you even in the back.

The diva had long tendrils, like hair, coming from her head. A long, curling mass made up the back of her head, and he knew that species. They were called Sirens by Humans, named for their abilities to sing, that their voices were so stirring and powerful that at times, they reminded people of the old stories of beings from the past on Earth, who promised all you wanted and used their voices to lure you to them.As her head lifted and she looked out, her hands went out, graceful in a way no human could emulate, and she began to sing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd make only one person Ruby Rhod, but if you've seen the movie, or just the part where Chris Tucker comes out as Rhod...you'd know that can't happen. Not without someone with equal energy.  
And that is Luis and Leon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Diva sings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can't/don't know this song from the various covers done of it online...look up Lucia de Lammormore or the Diva's song. It's very nice.

_ I have anything to believe in now _

“ _ Il dolce suono mi colpi di sua voce! _

_ Ah quelle voce _

_ Me qui nel cor discesa! _

_ Egarado! Lo ti son resa. Edgardo! Ah! Edgardo mio!” _

\--

Even as he waits, Albert thinks he can hear the diva’s song, the language bouncing but seeming to translate in his head.

The song is about a woman gone mad, broken and wanting her lover and having stabbed the one she married. He wonders if this is a foreshadowing of the ‘corruption’ in him, but some part of him doesn’t think that. His love of Earth will save it for Chris. His duty is not going to drive him mad.

“ _ Si ti son resa fuggita io son da tuoi nemici.” _

_ \-- _

“Commander,” the bosn came up, “I have a ship coming in, requesting a dock for repairs.”

“Put in him the docking garage, inform security. He has one hour.”

\--

“ _ YOU HAVE ONE HOUR.” _

Arias smiled as his ship steadily moved to where he could get into the cruise ship. “More than I need.”

In the concert hall, the Diva still sang, enrapturing all.

_ “Un gelo me serpeggia nel sen!” _

\--

“ _ Trema ogni fibra…” _

Albert hears the knocking as the music reverberating through the huge ship takes on a sinister, maddening tone. He glances over, spotting the ones before, and recalling what he’d read while he waited for the Diva to return.

_ “Vacilla il pie!” _

_ Umbrella - creator of bioweapons, and headed by a few families. It is now in ruins, thanks to the effort of the STARS team, lead by Chris Redfield. _

_ Alexia Ashford, who created herself as a demon, and who Chris Redfield fought when she took him to her prison planet, intent on destroying him… _

_ Alexia Ashford, who piloted the ships herself, and laughed as she killed the Mondoshawan. _

“ _ Presso la fonte meco t’assidi alquanto!” _

Albert felt his anger at the group rising. That woman and her creations would have killed not just the chance to stop the Evil, but Chris as well.

“ _ Si presso la fonte meco t’assidi.” _

He grips the machine Chris gave him and pulled it out. There, on the top, is the word “STARS”, while behind it, there’s a simple “property of Chris Redfield” on it. Chris didn’t just give him a way to communicate...he gave Albert  _ his  _ way to communicate with his group.

He is trained for this, and they will not take what they are here to get.

\--

The bass drops, and the Diva shows her range of the song.

\--

His focus is on the blond woman who motions the moment he throws one of her men in through the door, Albert easily taking apart her worker ants as they come at him, attempting to fight. He dodges when he hears a hissing sound, ending up next to her with a smirk before he hits her hard, sending her sprawling and into the reinforcements. 

He wastes no time, instead moving to dispatch them quickly before glancing over at the box they’d taken. It doesn’t resonate with him, meaning…

“Bravo,” a high pitched, laughing voice says, as Albert looks over to see another man, possibly Arias, standing with a gun, “but this is going to be  _ our ship  _ soon...now...hand over the stones.”

Albert touches the box, watching as the woman’s hair falls off, revealing shorter blond hair - a man...the brother, then, meaning the sister is somewhere else.

“I won’t ask again,” the man growls, on the verge of madness.

Albert throws it, hitting the man square in the chest and throwing him badly off balance, Albert turning and moving, using the furnishings to get into the vents and quickly move up, hearing gunfire below him and hearing a voice saying, “Alfred...Chris Redfield  _ is  _ here.”

Albert holds in a growl as he hears more gunfire.

“He’ll be ours now...ours…Alfred...where are you, brother? Let me sing to you, a song far prettier than the Diva...”

Albert feels his side hurt as he hears more movement, and feels something wet on his side. He keeps himself quiet as he sees one of the plant-vines there moves away as if pleased with the blood but not knowing if he’s dead or not.

\--

“Shit, Mangalores,” Leon says as Luis, he, and Chris hide, Chris had taken off his jacket to try to stop the bleeding as he whispers to her, “I’m with the government, I was sent to help.”

The voice that came out spoke English, but seemed to vibrate, like it was seconds from singing, despite having no song. “You must give him the Elements.”

“Who?”

“The Fifth Element. The Supreme Being sent to Earth to save it.”

“Albert?”

A small smile. “Yes. But he’s more fragile than he knows. He needs your help...and your love...or else...he will...fail.”

\--

He holds the thing tight, hoping to get a message in. To warn Chris of the dangers about to come his way, of what is there…

_ Chris… _

\--

“No, no, stay with me, I’ll find him, I will, but where are the stones?”

The Diva is slipping fast, and Leon moves near them to help as they try to keep the Diva there before she finally points to herself.

“The stones...are...in me…”

Leon glances up at Chris as Luis curses in Spanish, saying, “One’s coming over here, Leon, Chris…”

“I got them, you figure this out,” Leon mutters to Chris, flipping the Mandalore and putting a gun to its head as Luis quietly tries to tell everyone on the radio what’s going on, hoping for help. Leon waits as Chris slowly moves and puts a hand into the Diva, looking almost surprised when something comes out.

“Leon.”

And the worried young man shoots the hostage.

Chris glares at him as Leon mutters, “ _ One day. _ ”

“You had  _ training. _ ” Chris shakes his head, instead quickly moving to pull out the other three before handing them to Luis. “You, guard these with your life. You...guard  _ him _ .”

Leon nods, moving to help Luis as both pause then say, “Um...three inbound.”

“That’s what happens when you shoot one of their friends,” Chris mutters, “we’re going to get out of this, green?”

“Green,” the two say.

“I need you both to trust me, green?”

“Super green,” they say in unison before Chris nods, offers them a small smile, and stands in a fluid motion, gun going up and hitting all three of the Mandalores before he strives forward and mutters, “Arias and the Ashfords better not make this hard.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Best Show Ever for Luis and Leon's radio show begins.

_ But these realities smash my mind _

Chris goes out guns blazing, managing to take out most of the Mangalores - the creatures and people that Alexia used, before spotting one of her main clones getting ready to throw at him, making him run as hissing and fire sprout out behind him, people screaming and doing their best to hide as he hears the clone laugh, though it’s a weird choking sound that worries him. He’s beginning to think that maybe Alfred got killed.

Which isn’t a good thing. The two were barely sane together, and the one time he’d fought against them, they’d been separated and Alfred had not been well. He dives for a gun, hearing a few go off nearby and silently praying that whatever Leon’s own diversion, it keeps the stones and Luis safe.

“ _ Chris… _ ” the cooing sound is the the main warning he gets before he has to duck and run, managing to get in a good shot as she tries to set fire to him, sending a Mangalore up as it starts to shoot, the bit of Alexia screaming as it falls, one lucky shot getting it hard as the other Mangalores try to get at him. He manages to wave as Leon and Luis come in, Leon grabbing something as Luis asks, “W-what is that?”

“Count to...ten.”

Chris runs the other way, hiding mostly under debris and going around and down the hall, as Leon and Luis roll out in a dolly, Luis counting in Spanish and all but screaming as the gunshots get more and more hectic before the bomb explodes.

Chris, meantime, heads towards the control room, knowing Alexia would be there and hoping that there, he could find Albert as well.

So he’s a bit blindsided when a net catches and tangles him, causing him to fall down and sprawl over hard on the floor. Arias walks out from the other side and looks down at Chris as he struggles against the net, smirking as he sees him. “So, you  _ are _ here. Good...though our time is short, my dear Mr. Redfield, I only have one question for you to answer.”

\--

Albert hisses, holding in his painful sound as he looks over and sees the wounds beginning to knit together, a bit better than he’d been when he first hid from the man and the strange woman. He’s grateful for that but knows that part of it was his anger and need to find Chris.

If he finds Chris, he’ll find the Diva, and thus the stones. That thought, or the chain of thoughts, lead to ones full of rage as well, ones that he’d not connected to Chris until he mentioned it.

All the letters before “V”, that had Chris there, in plain sight, yet were overlooked because the evil he defeated was so great. At least with Albert, he is considered a Supreme Being, the Fifth Element, and they are running out of  _ time. _

He pushes out of the wall he was hiding, pausing as he sees that Luis and Leon rushing past, Leon pausing as he sees him. “You were with Chris, right? His plus-one?”

Albert nods, glancing around, “Where… is Chris?”

The stones call him, resonating with his core, but... _ Chris isn’t here…”He needs your help...and your love…” _

“He was heading up to take care of something in the control room,” Luis says as Leon adds, “More like  _ someone _ . We’ll get it.”

Albert glances around, though the call of the stones is heady, this close. “The Diva?”

Leon looks sad, shaking his head as Albert nods. He had hoped that she’d survived, to answer what she meant or what she was doing, but right now…

Albert’s hand reaches to the item Chris had left him, giving him stability, as Leon said, “We need to hurry. If these guys heard about the stones, they heard about the Diva right?”

It’s enough to get Albert’s mind and focus off the stones, and his fear of what might have happened to Chris. He nods, heading the other way, despite his core being  _ screaming  _ at him to take the stones.

_ Chris will get us to the temple. To do that, he must survive. _

_ For humanity to survive, I  _ must  _ find Chris. _

\--

The control room is easy enough to find after a bit, especially when there are some vines starting to grow from the side. Luis tries to leave but Leon grabs him and pulls him along. He has enough to shoot a few Mangalores and the leader, and he plans on doing that for ruining their show.

“I forget, you were a cop for a day.”

“I forgot we’re doing a show,” Leon mutters as they get up to one of the officers, who are shakey and looks ready to give up. “You have any idea of what we’re dealing with?”

At the headshake, Leon asks, “Mind if I…?”

He looks in after changing places with the shaky kid, mentally reminding himself to do it just like Marvin taught him, and stopping all thoughts that lead to Marvin’s ultimate fate.

“Four on the right, five on the left…” Leon moved in, taking his shots, then leaned back as answering shots, but less than before, answered him, the foliage retreating as well.

“Three on the right, two on the left. Where’s the leader...Alexia or whoever?”

“Oh, you wish to talk?” the voice, similar to the one from before that had called out Chris’ name, sounds from the other side as Luis mutters, “Sounds like the leader.”

“Send someone in, perhaps we can negotiate.” The two look at the young man, who’s too shaken to even answer well before Luis says, “Leon, darling…”

“I only negotiated once.”

“And that was the start of our job, we shall tell the viewers after you negotiate the lovely lady.”

The young man nods, yelling back, “We’re sending someone in to negotiate!”

Luis smiles as Leon turns, walking in and raising his gun. A single shot, apparently, was all that was needed, as the vines disappear and wither along the corridor.

“Anyone else want to negotiate?” Leon asks the remaining Mangalores, who quickly drop their weapons.

Luis smirks as the young man on his side asks, “Wh-who taught him how to negotiate like that?”

\--

“I wonder.”

Barry Burton looked too proud of himself to even justify that with an answer.

\--

Albert moves through the rooms, finding his way down, first to the empty Diva’s suite, then back to their own. He slows as he sees someone outside he hadn’t before, a gray-haired man who is looking around angrily for someone. He listens for a bit before muttering something to himself and leaving, a bag of something with him. Albert moves in behind him, rushing in and glancing around before he hears a small groan, moving to find Chris in a similar position he’d been in, hidden behind walls but struck by the dangerous things all the same.

“Thought...you’d never show,” Chris mutters as Albert helps him out of the wall, hissing at the pull against his wound. “Bastard...didn’t shut up...asking about the stones...getting to save his wife...bull…” Chris head rested against Albert’s shoulder as Albert did his best to move him to the rumbled and destroyed bed, hoping to help somehow. “It was...using him...to get the stones.”

“We have them,” Albert mutters, though he worries now about the two who he saw with them, hoping they’re alright. Had they managed to defeat the thing in the control room?

“I know,” Chris mutters, then smiles at Albert, “You got pretty eyes...glad I kissed you.”

Albert glares at him before pushing a bit, getting Chris to hiss in pain. “Never...without my permission.”

Chris smiles a bit, though in pain, and nods. “Never...without your permission.”

“If you two are done with your moment,” Leon grouses from their area near the doorway, Luis looking at something before hitting Leon and saying, “Leon...what’s this?”

Leon looks at it, eyes going wide in fear before Luis says, “No, nonononono, because if it is...then the hotel would be on alert, they scan for these things.  _ Comprende? _ ”

“Yeah.”

An alarm blares, warning everyone to the emergency shuttles and that it was not a drill.

“I swear on all that is  _ holy,  _ Luis, if you jinx us like that again--.” “I didn’t set up a  _ bomb  _ for a  _ cruise  _ that apparently has intergalactic issues!”

Albert helps Chris up, Chris pointing to where they have to go, avoiding the panicking people as he directs them towards a hanger with one ship. “That’ll work...let’s go.”

“That’s not regulation for this type of cruise,” Leon mutters as they get in, Chris moving into the driver’s seat as Leon takes over copilot, both ordering the other two to sit and strap in as they start up the ship. Albert glares and yells at Chris, ending up going back to the Divine language to properly explain his upset over Chris’ choices, but grateful the area around them, at least, has some first aid stock.

\--

Arias curses as he arrives back at the suite, finding a hole in the side and Redfield gone. He turns and slips a card into the bomb timer, smirking as it stops at three seconds before he hears a strange, insane cackle and looks over. On a screen, near the reactor, the last remains of the Ashfords hold on, reaching to start it. That might as well be a bomb, and he doesn’t have the time to run.

“Oh no.”

\--

Luis lets out a scream when they go, the hole blown into the exit and the sudden blast of fire and radiation almost pulling them back, but the ship managing to push through and get them out as Chris lets out a pained breath, muttering, “Just like driving a cab,” as Leon, noticing the time, says in a breathless but happy voice, “Ladies and gentlemen it is now 7 pm, time for your local news.”

Luis, out of instinct, mutters into his own microphone, “We’ll see you here tomorrow night from five to seven, on Radio Cosmos.” the two move the mics away, ending transmission, as Luis goes to help the blond-haired man who’d been with Chris, Albert or something, get Chris medical attention while Leon leans back, ship set on autopilot to head back to Earth.

“That was the best show we’ve ever done.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Given it's speed and trajectory, the ball of death will hit Earth in one hour and fifty-seven minutes."  
"...We'll call you back in two hours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is brief bits of sex here, though not too graphic. So, enjoy.

_ This suffering world won’t change _

Albert glares at Chris as he rests, reading through the words, having gone back to the information on Chris himself and the two places he’d mentioned. He wants to wrap Chris up, keep him safe, and in doing so, he knows he’ll keep the rest of the world safe as well. The call of the stones still pulls on his core, but it seems strangely linked to Chris as well. If he’d not found him…

“I can hear you thinking,” Chris mutters, turning his head to look over at him, “you read more in your stuff? Still at ‘V’?”

“Yes,” he lies, looking at it, “Humans are strange. Destroying what you created.”

“It’s life. Life is not simply just the failure of destruction - the thing wants to kill everything, right?”

Albert nods. “It takes all out, all life, everything. All that is life, is then death, and never returns.” He’d seen the one place, where the Monoshawan haven’t managed to save, and the vision of it - so dead not even the soil would allow for anything to live, so lifeless you couldn’t set up any sort of base or anything else, without even enough to create minerals or anything to gain - in a word, a floating planet simply there, without any chance to create or grow or have even life from elsewhere grow on it.

“Destruction and death are different,” Chris mutters, “Death is always permanent. Destruction you can create other things from, or build upon, or it will create another thing from it. Life is coming back from destruction...death is not.”

“I read as well...about Umbrella and the Mansion.” He reaches over to touch Chris’ hair, suddenly amazed he’d never done before. “About Arias, and the Ashfords.”

Chris’ face looks serious, but he manages a small smile. “Before you, they were all I had to worry about. Now, we have to save the world.” He reaches over to touch Albert’s shoulder as well. “I’m glad if it means I get to say you should move to ‘v’. Stop worrying about my past.”

Albert glares and then scoffs. “Why? What’s in that letter that’s so good?” He likes learning about Chris, likes seeing him as a young man, smiling without any sign of tightness, loves to read about how Chris, his Chris, is a hero.

“Virtue,” Chris mutters, obviously seeing Albert’s interest in him, “Vigor. Vital. Victory. Valiant. Vulnerable. Very handsome.”

Albert smiles a bit at that, leaning in and saying, “You need to rest.”

“Promise me you won’t get upset...at war.”

“All of it is life, you said. So long as Life comes from it, we cannot tell them to not destroy each other.” Chris’ eyes are half-lidded but he looks like he’ll hold onto wakefulness until he gets the answer he wants. “I won’t. I was upset over the others because others destroyed and seemed content with destroying everything for no reason, and you were involved and saved so many. But I won’t be upset over it. Besides, I can always go back to ‘very handsome’, and see you.”

Chris smiles a bit before falling asleep to heal, Albert pausing to glance again at the stones. He almost never sees them, and now that they’re here, he’s glad they are, and that he can do what he needs to in order to save the Earth.

He pauses as he starts back up on ‘V’, doing his best to not promise himself that he’s going to wait before he kisses Chris like he deserves to be kissed.

\--

Chris wakes when Luis shakes him a bit, saying, “The president is on the line.” Groaning, the other man gets up, Albert watching him as Leon hands over the phone and the group waits, hearing the president start to congratulate him before Chris says, “You mind explaining what’s the new problem?”

“... _ There’s a ball of fire and death, 1200 miles in diameter, heading straight for Earth, and we’ve no way to stop it. _ ”

“Any idea how long before it gets there?” He winces a bit at the pull on his side, but is grateful for the military-grade stuff in here, giving him some time to heal.

“ _ Given it’s trajectory and speed,”  _ another voice says, “ _ it will hit Earth in one hour and fifty-seven minutes.” _

Chris sighs, passing it over to Leon, who says, “We’ll call you back in two hours,” before telling everyone else, “We’re apparently going to hurry this.”

Chris straps in and waits only a minute before setting up the hyperdrive and getting a quick link to allow them into a bend that might cut off a few hours. Not enough to give them time to get more help, but enough time to rush back to Earth and put everything together. 

_ Ancient Temple of the Sacred Being _

_ Earth _

The ships lands a bit hard, but given how short a time they have - only an hour by Albert’s guess - they find themselves rushing in, Albert helping the still-healing Chris in as Sherry waves them in. Much of the building is dark, save for lit sticks that bring them along the way, the Birkins moving as Will said, “Let me see one of the stones!” He looks them over, checks on the top of the cleaned pillars, as Chris moves to help while Albert moves to the center, watching the chaotic movement around him as Will says, “Everything has a manual to some degree, so I figured this would as well, even if we weren’t privy to it.” He checks the top and a few of the stones before putting on the top, the pillar clicking as Albert finds himself freezing in place. He watches them as much as he can, noticing that Chris seems to see his stillness before rushing over, touching his arm and frowns. “Albert?”

“You need to open them,” Albert tells him. He’s grateful he can talk. “The elements...wind blows, fire burns, water falls, earth…” he never quite figured that out, but he sees Luis look over at the Air stone, coming over in a hurry and letting out a breath over it. He smiles when it starts to open, saying, “Got it! Earth for earth, everyone _ , andele! _ ”

Luis blows again as Leon rushes to one side, grabbing some of the sand and throwing it on the Earth stone as Annette and Sherry rush over, heading to the Water stone where Sherry, holding a water cup, dumps it onto it so the stone opens. Chris squeezes his hands and turns to go to the last stone, Fire, just as a shot rings out, the group stopping as a woman walks in, glaring down Chris as her weapon levels at him, anger in her eyes. Chris looks over at Albert, then back to the closest to the final stone, and finally to the woman. 

_ Maria Gomez...Arias’ henchman, the last one. _

Albert glares at her, the embodiment of the Evil he wishes to kill, and then blinks as he sees Chris move, rushing back to hug Albert as two gunshots ring out. Everything seems to move in slow motion as he feels Chris wrap his arms around him, holding him by his waist, as he jerks in pain before saying, “Ok? No...no bada boom?”

“Chris,” Albert says, wanting to move,  _ needing  _ to move, to hold him, but trapped by his conditioning, by the power swirling around them, calling to him, to be  _ used _ , to--

Fire flares, enough that Albert can wrap his own arms around Chris as it starts to turn, waiting. Normally, the Mondoshawan would remind him of it all, of his purpose, but now...as he sees his Chris turning pale, as he sees the woman starting to move, somehow still alive, wanting to kill them.

“So glad...you’re ok…”

“Chris...Chris, I can’t protect you if--.”

Chris kisses him, deeply, fully, the way that Albert wanted to kiss him before, and Albert suddenly, strangely, fully  _ gets it _ .

Albert was built to protect the world, and not taught love. He recalls what Chris had said, about the nature of love. He recalls what he mentioned, about Arias believing in evil because it might get him back one he loved.

Maria Gomez raises her gun, but then all the power pushes down into the stones again, activating. Everything beyond Chris and Albert, in the center, becomes energy as the woman manages a pained scream as it circles, spins, enough for Albert to know that he has to hold onto Chris, and hopes that he will survive.

“I love you,” Chris whispers as he rests against Albert’s shoulder, and with that, the elements throw their energy at him. Albert throws his head back, the energy flowing through his body and Chris’, and--

_ Love is many things. Love can  _ be  _ many things.  _ He sees an old video of a man in a sweater, who looks at the screen as he explains love as he sees it - the center of all relationships, the lack of it or simply having it - and yes…

Life is chaos, but not evil - it is love, and protection, and life, and all the mess it is, and the planet barrelling towards them would take it all away, because it believes it wants none of this. The Mondoshawan want him to simply protect this, but now that he’s seen all of it, felt all of it…

The power cuts to the Evil’s core, as deep as he can throw it. Outside of the confines the Mondoshawan had always put him, he finds himself able to pull on the power, on thoughts, on all he’s seen.

Sherry Birkin and her parents hold onto each other, Sherry watching this all despite the power, wrapped and protected by those she loves most.

Leon and Luis also hold on, a strange mix of love that is not the love Chris felt for him, but friendly, companions, and willing to protect the others after pain and suffering that brought them together.

Maria Gomez, dead now, loved her father and Arias, even though they did evil. They protected her, though they were evil. She was part of all that hurt him and Chris, but she wanted nothing more than to be with those who made her happy.

Chris holds him, despite the pain, despite having the energy flowing through him as well, pulling at the wounds he’d gotten from protecting Albert, and loves him.

The Evil’s core is hit, harder than ever, and Albert watches as the light of love, of protection, his power,  _ his  _ determination and duty and all else, throws out the Evil.

Afterwards, when he and Chris both fall over, exhausted, Albert thinks it’s not fair, that Chris got to give him all the kisses, and so far, Albert has not given him any. He’ll need to change that, when they wake up.

_ Raccoon City - Nucleo Lab _

Excella sighs as she moves over. The Perfect Man was back, along with some random man that had apparently been holding him up or something while the whole...everything...happened. She’s glad they had the reactor ready, and big enough for two large men. She’s equally grateful that so far, Jessica hadn’t been looking in every few seconds, since both men had to be stripped before entering and she appeared to be infatuated with the other one.

“Ah, Excella,” Jill Valentine, head General of the Federation, smiles cooly as she walks in, “It’s a pleasure, as always.”

“Of course, how can I help you?”

“I was told our two heroes are here?” She glances at the big reactor behind them. “Recovering?”

“They should be fully recovered soon,” Jessica said, standing up and motioning, “We can all take a look.”

Jill glances at them, then nods. “I have a few meetings after this, and to debrief the president. I suppose checking to make sure they’re all fine and not hurt would be a great idea.”

Excella nods, the trio of women walking over to open up the window and look in.

All three women blink in surprise, before Jill closes the window, despite both Excella and Jessica’s protests. The two protesting gets both women to redden in surprise and horror at what they’d been willing to do. They might want the two men - on their own, of course - but they were also professionals! And in front of the head General!

“I’ll leave Chris to that. He needs some R&R.” She offers Excella and Jessica a smile, “let me know when he wakes up. I’m sure Luis and Leon would like another go at the two.”

Excella’s face flushes even more and Jessica’s eyes go wide, and the two glance at each other while Valentine walks off, a smile on her face as she says, “Message to Burton. Barry...you owe me lunch.”

\--

Albert pauses as he shifts on Chris, running a hand down his chest. Chris’ hands on his hips, cock hard against Albert’s own as he offers him a smile. “You seem eager,” he mutters, smiling a bit as Albert leans down, muttering more and more praise in the Divine Language as Chris moans. Albert thinks he notices a few of Chris’ wounds healing a bit more, but can’t be sure if it’s the area they’re in, or if it’s the Divine Language.

He’ll have to test it later, next time, if this happens again. Not that he’ll let it happen again.

“I told you,” Albert mutters as he moves up, leaning down to kiss Chris deeply, like he’d been kissed right before they’d defeated the Evil, hitting it’s very core. Chris’ love had made that possible, and Albert wants more.

“Oh?”

“Achan chinou aranouylipot. Basaskidoun mina hinou ne hany hoppi hoppa.”

Chris moans against another kiss as his hips move up, their cocks rubbing together briefly as Albert continues to berate him in the Divine Language. How dare Chris not let Albert protect him? How dare he kiss Albert without his permission and then nearly die like that?

“Ecko gamat again,” Chris mutters as he turns, managing to get on top of Albert and smirking before leaning down to lick and suck on one of Albert’s nipples, getting the Supreme Being to moan as well, “What did I do without your permission?”

“Kiss…” Albert tells him, watching as he leans down further and further down his body, blinking as Chris gives him a wicked grin.

“Oh? Kiss?” He kisses against Albert’s inner thighs, easily spreading his legs as Albert watches with interest, soaking it all in, experiences he’s never had and wishes to have now, with Chris. He gasps in pleasure as the kisses reach the base of his cock, slowly moving up while Albert does his best to watch, though pleasure stops him from always being able to, his head going back as Chris kisses and licks along his length, as if trying to get every part of it memorized and to show him exactly how sensitive it was. He wants more, though he’s not sure of what. Chris moves up to kiss Albert, the taste of himself heady on his tongue as they move against each other, Albert’s own hands now on Chris’ hips, hoping to keep them as close together as possible as the pleasure built.

“We need to do more,” Chris whispers to him after another kiss, “when we get out.”

“More,” Albert gasps as Chris shifts, taking both their cocks in his hand and stroking as Albert thinks of how lovely this is, how grateful he is to be with Chris, and how he’ll never, ever, let him go.

\--

Birkin pauses as he looks at the Mondoshawan, the delegation looking down and moving the four stones back to them. “Keep them. We will not return. The Fifth Element has been corrupted. There is no need to take it. Evil had been where all Good should be. We’ve other worlds to keep safe, if this one will be corrupted by evil.”

He doesn’t say anything, simply nods and takes the four stones back. “Very well. We have served you well, then, and I apologize if we have not.”

“If you had, the Element would return with us, not remain here, not remain to be corrupted. He can no longer protect Life. In five thousand years--.”

“It will be our problem then,” Birkin tells him, “as it was this time. Had you allowed us to keep the stones at least, hours would have been cut down, and the corruption of the Element might not have occurred. But instead, you gave them to a Diva, who is now dead in an attempt to control the Stones and allow all Life to end. Corrupted as he may be, the Fifth Element managed to save us and do what he was designed to do. Corrupted or not, we will keep him safe, until the Evil returns again. If it does.” They’d found the remnants of the first evil, and others, and compared to the current planet that had been destroyed, luckily just outside of Earth's orbit but near the Moon’s area, and it was quite different from all the others. It makes Birkin wonder, and a lot of others, but that’s neither here nor there, at least in this conversation. In this one, all that matters is that they have enough to protect themselves.

After all that happened, to hear such things…

The Mondoshawans look at him, shake their heads, and then slowly stand. “Believe what you will. When the Evil returns, and we do not, this world will die. We have others who are grateful for our work, and will not destroy the Elements we give them.” Birkin doesn’t argue them, instead takes the stones and key, bows, and leaves before them. Whatever else happens, he can protect Albert at least, as well as the key and all the other items.

“Thank you, then, for keeping us safe for so long. It is time we care for our own safety.”

Birkin leaves, and behind him, the Mondoshawan slowly stand, and nod. Though the word is ‘corrupted’, the true word in the Divine language was different. They wonder if Albert would understand it as what it is - not quite corruption, as it is understood, but something else.

Albert loves the world, because he now has seen the world, and loves it for all it’s greatness and flaws. He destroyed the Evil, and it would not come back, and so they would not need to either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Achan chinou aranouylipot. Basaskidoun mina hinou ni hany hoppi hoppa." - Saving someone's life you love. Showing them to kiss but not anything else ("anything else" in a dirty sense)


End file.
